Love Along the Way
by MissAshleyM
Summary: Four Hogwarts students must put their pasts behind them and come together to fight the horrifying challenges they are going to face as they try to make it back to Hogwarts alive.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I like this story a lot. And I am hoping everyone else does too. Please review and give me your opinion.**

**Summary:**

**Four Hogwarts students must put their pasts behind them and come together to fight the horrifying challenges they are going to face as they try to make it back to Hogwarts alive. **

Chapter One

Hermione was unsure about returning to Hogwarts to try and complete her seventh year. It would mean she would be joining sixth years, since she took a year off to help Harry defeat Voldemort. Harry finally managed to kill Voldemort and send all of the death eaters back to Azkaban, where their new guards were Aurors. Nobody wanted to take the chance that the death eaters could once again try and kill, so they thought the Aurors would be the best guards. This meant though that Harry and Ron were going to Azkaban since they recently became immediate aurors. Hermione was surprised that the ministry allowed them to join at such a young age, but then again Harry did defeat Voldemort and Ron was also quite helpful. The ministry had also offered Hermione a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but she decided it would be best to finish her education.

But Hogwarts has changed quite a bit now that Dumbledore passed away. Professor McGonagall had been assigned the new head master. Hermione was pleased with this; McGonagall was one of her favorite teachers. Taking over the Transfiguration class was George Weasley. After Fred died, George decided to close down the joke shop and go back to Hogwarts as an educator. Potions class was now led by some man named Aranious Griddrock, and Defense against the Dark Arts is being taught by a lady called Elena Mavrick. Hermione was hoping that these teachers would last at Hogwarts, now that Voldemort is gone the teachers shouldn't mysteriously pass away.

Ginny however wasn't as thrilled to be going back to Hogwarts. Her and Harry had finally started a stable relationship, she didn't want to leave him. But her mother nagged at her until she finally agreed to finish her final year. But she managed to get her mom to allow Harry to stay at the burrow with her for the summer. Ginny was the happiest she had ever been. Hermione on the other hand was not. Ron had decided to tell her that he thought it would be best if they took a break while she was at school. This left things rather awkward between them for the rest of the summer.

But now it is just about eight o' clock and Ginny and Hermione are packing up, getting ready to go to Hogwarts. "Hermione have you happened to see my new Cares of Magical Creatures book lying around," Ginny was destroying her room trying to find it. "It's sitting on your dresser," Hermione said with a giggle, pointing to the book. Ginny threw her hands up in the air, mumbled something under her breath, and chucked the book in her trunk. "Ginny, Hermione breakfast is ready," the two girls heard Molly yell from downstairs. The two girls finally managed to fit all of Ginny's things into her trunk, and they made their way downstairs. The smell of bacon and pancakes instantly hit them when they rounded the corner into the kitchen. Molly had the table filled with food and the boys were already stuffing their faces. "Save some for the rest of us will you," Hermione said giggling when Harry looked up and had syrup dribbling down his chin. "M'sorry," Harry mumbled, trying to swallow his food.

Ginny took a seat next to him, giving him a peck on his cheek. Meanwhile Hermione sat down next to Arthur who was reading the latest muggle newspaper. Breakfast went by extremely fast. Hermione and Ginny were both trying to savor the time they had with them before they had to leave.

"Ginny, Hermione I will be driving you two to Kings Cross on my way to work, so let's plan on leaving in about twenty minutes," Arthur said without even taking his eyes off the paper. The two girls finished their breakfast and went to get their trunks. By the time they managed to lift their trunks into the car it was time to go. Hermione gave Molly a big hug, and thanked her for allowing her to come over. She then gave Ron a small hug, without a word. She finished the goodbye with Harry, "Don't forget to write while I am away." She lunged into his arms. "Calm down Hermione this year will be so boring it will fly by and then you can join Ron and me at the Ministry." Hermione smiled and let go of him. Ginny however took a lot longer to say goodbye. She was able to say goodbye to her mother without Molly bursting into tears. She then said goodbye to Ron asking him to watch over Harry. Now her goodbye to Harry was almost enough to make Hermione gag. "Come on Ginny stop your snogging or we are going to miss the train," Hermione finally yelled. Ginny pulled her lips away from Harry's and made her way to the car. The girls buckled up and Arthur started the car. Before they knew it they were flying over the Burrow, away from their family and friends, not knowing that this year at Hogwarts was going to be the most thrilling year they have ever had.

**(Please Review)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I just realized that Chapter One isn't as long as I thought, so I am hoping this one is longer. Please review!**

Chapter Two

Draco Malfoy awoke to the sound of stomping up the stairs. "Blaise will you shut the hell up," he yelled pulling his pillow over his head. Only a moment went by before that very pillow was being ripped from his face. Draco sat up quickly, he was pissed. "Draco we have to leave or we will miss the train," Blaise started chucking Draco's things into his trunk. "Good lets miss the train then we don't have to go," Draco said flopping back onto the mattress. "My mum said if you were going to live with us you had to go back with me and we had to finish our seventh year," Blaise continued to pull things out of drawers and put them in his trunk. "Well I don't really have a choice where to live do I," Draco in fact hated the living arrangements. He wished he was sleeping in his own bed, but the ministry took away the Malfoy Manor when his parents were sent to Azkaban. He would have been sent too, but Blaise's mother told the ministry she would watch over him and have him return to Hogwarts for his last year. "My mum did you a favor the least you can do is respect her," Blaise snapped, slamming the trunk shut. Draco sighed and pulled himself out of bed, "Look man I'm sorry," he said slipping on a pair of jean and a t-shirt. Blaise nodded,"Look we are leaving in like 10 minutes so please hurry up." With that Blaise left Draco's room and went downstairs.

Draco ran a hand through his hair, as he pulled his hand down back to his side he noticed the mark. The Dark Mark. He wished it would go away. It reminded him of all the crap he went through in the past couple of years. His parents never should have forced him into joining the death eaters. It wasn't fair. Draco sighed and left the room, pulling his trunk behind him. As he made it to the family room he saw Blaise and his mother sitting down on the couch. "Good morning Draco, how did you sleep," Mrs. Zabini asked with a smile. "Just fine thank you," he lied setting his trunk by the front door. "So are we ready to go," Blaise asked. Draco nodded and they made their way over to the fireplace. He hated using the floo network. "You go first Draco," Mrs. Zabini said hurrying him into the fireplace and placing his trunk next to him. Draco grabbed a handful of floo powder and yelled, "Platform 9 and three quarters," before allowing the floo powder to hit the bottom of the fireplace. The next thing he knew he saw green flames and he was standing in the fireplace at Platform 9 ¾. He stepped out and pulled his trunk out. Blaise came out of the fireplace only seconds later. "My mum says she hopes you have a good year but she will not be able to accompany us to the train,"Blaise said pulling his trunk out of the fire place.

The boys made their way to the back of the train to drop off their trunks before they boarded the train. As they got on the train they found an empty compartment and sat down. "I just realized a plus to this year," Draco said with a smile. Blaise looked up. "No Pansy," Draco said his smile getting bigger. "Oh yeah," Blaise smirked and gave a high five to Draco. Just then the compartment door opened up. "Look I just want to tell you that I really don't want to ask, but all the other compartments are full, do you mind if we join you," It was none other than Hermione Granger. "Sure you can," Blaise said moving over to sit next to Draco. Ginny and Hermione took the seats across from them. Draco looked up at Hermione. She was beautiful he had to admit, but he could never tell her. "So how was your summer," Blaise asked. "Fine thank you, how about yours," Hermione asked trying to be polite. She heard all about Draco's family in the Daily Prophet and how he was living with Blaise. "Just great, Draco and I did all sorts of things. It was like actually having a sibling," Blaise seemed extremely happy with Draco living with him. Hermione smiled and pulled a book out from her book bag. She opened it up and began reading. "What are you reading," Hermione expected it to be Blaise or Ginny, but it was Draco. She looked up at him, "Oh it's called Living Amongst the Magic, it's a book about what it would be like if muggles knew about wizards," she explained. "Do you actually think that would work, I mean I get muggle-born parents knowing of magic but the whole world. We would be shunned," he said. Was he actually trying to have a conversation with Hermione Granger? "I don't know really, it's a very interesting topic, I mean it would be nice to be able to use magic whenever, but you are right the muggles might not understand." Was Hermione actually agreeing with him? Ginny looked at Blaise and he shrugged. They were both curious at the newly formed 'friendship'.

The rest of the ride was eventful. They all actually got along. Hermione couldn't help but notice that Draco was acting like a normal teenager again instead of being emotionless. As they pulled up to a stop Hermione looked out the window and noticed that they were not at Hogwarts. "Where are we," she asked. Blaise leaned over Draco and looked out the window, "They brought us to the bloody wrong place," Ginny giggled nervously. Just then the train shook and they heard screaming. Hermione grasped at Draco and he stepped protectively in front of her as the four of them huddled far away from the door. The lights of the train shut off and the screaming died down. Draco went to pull open the door when Ginny grabbed his arm, "What if it's not safe," she was scared. "If it isn't we need to leave, so just let me check it out," he pulled his arm out of her grasp and went out of the compartment. The three of them stood there waiting for him, "Maybe I should go find him," Blaise suggested. "Wait someone is coming," Hermione whispered shushing them. The shadow grew closer to the compartment and soon a hand was opening the door. All of them froze waiting for whoever it was to show their face.

**(Please Review)**


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